Absence does not mean a lack of interest

It just means other happenings in our life have taken first place. Overwhelmed with work I was finally forced to prioritize and many personal activities had to be put on hold. Work is the most important thing at present but we are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully there will be some changes from September/October.  

At present 2018 has been rather nasty to us... Sr P's eldest brother passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of January. Such a shock and it hit us hard! 

Then just four months later our brother-in-law had a heart attack and left us too!  We are devastated!!  He was a very close and well-loved member of our family. We are still trying to get back into a routine but it is difficult. In a way I am fortunate that I have so much work it helps me not to think but Sr P is retired and he has too much time on his hands. 

Time is the healer...right....to a point!   At present we just feel there are very few pleasures in our lives!  In all truth I have to say I am finding it hard to write this post. I must have lost the knack!

I haven't stopped crocheting of course ...there have been moments where I have sat with my hook in hand looking at it with no inspiration and pushing it to one side. However,it was worst still doing nothing and just thinking.

 

 Mermaid Tail for Lottie my great niece.   My sister sent me the pattern. I used Katia Alaska and Hook Nº 8.  A stash buster I am pleased to say.

Mermaid tails for my great nieces  "The Pinks"   My sister knitted the one on the right. These were Christmas presents. 

 I had to make initials for each tail because they would squabble otherwise :-)

Then on seeing these pics on facebook my other niece contacted me and asked if I could do one for her little girl.

 

The second one.   I like these combination of colours more so than the first tail.

I was doodling and for nobody in particular. I was still into mermaids I think. I found the pattern online.

More doodling...no pattern.

 A virus & granny stitch shawl . I always wanted to do this pattern.  

My sister has moved into a new house in Torquay, Devon and she is redecorating it all. I thought these would look good hanging from the bathroom door or cupboard.

A Danish pattern that had no translation but I more or less sorted it out !  I tweaked it a bit!

and.....thats it for now....sorry about the photo overload :-)

Keep well

Amanda :-)

 

I hear bells......Christmas is back again……

 

When you love something you feel good and you want to share that wonderful feeling with others!
 
"Whether you believe or you don't believe or you believe in a different way … I say no matter!!! It is Christmas and the message it sends out to all of us in this our beautiful world is of peace and unity and wishes for a better future as we approach a bright new year.
 

MAY IT BE SO!!!
 

I truly wish this for you all,so with these few words I am sending out my love and sincerest best wishes to all my bloggy friends wherever you are."
 
May this Christmas bring you your heart's desire.

Have a fantastic time!

Amanda :-)

 and....my apologies for not posting anything since October.......life aka work gets in the way as usual but I have continued to read blogs over my morning cuppa of tea!!! :-).  keep well !!

 

Thrown in a cupboard.

This little shawl has a story......

I finished this shawl using Jaipur Mercerized Cotton at the beginning of the summer.
I wanted a nice light summer shawl.
The pattern was not my own but one I found on the internet however I cannot tell you who wrote it because I have ripped it up.
That's right I tore it up! I was so disappointed with the results!
When I saw how tiny the shawl was I knew I had gone wrong somewhere. I had been so careful counting the stitches in each row. You see it does look a very simple straight forward pattern with no fancy stitches but you do have to keep counting the stitches in every row and carefully!!
I just rolled the shawl into a ball and threw it into a cupboard. 
Well I found that crumpled up ball a couple of weeks ago and as it happened at that time I was in a more resourceful mood  I thought I could do something with it. Perhaps it could be a sort of scarf I thought. I washed it and blocked it;strenuously pulling it here and there to try and make it a bit longer. It worked and this the result. 
I have a new scarf to cover my shoulders a little !

I feel a bit guilty about ripping up the pattern now as it wasn't the pattern that was wrong but me.

Keep well

Amanda :-)

Jaipur goes to Devon

My sister has just moved house and has also gone back to Devon (UK) to live. Lucky she has finally retired!  As I told her about time too as she rightfully deserves that retirement. She has worked real hard all her life and I am so glad she can get loads of quality time now. 
One of the reasons she has moved back to Devon is being in contact with her grandchildren and of course "The Pinks" ! The great grandchildren!!

The Pinks as I call them!

It is my sister's birthday next week and she has just received the plant I have sent her which I ordered online.

 

I always worry about these online purchases for birthday gifts in case they are not what they advertise on the webpage but going by this photo that she sent to me I think it lives up to its description. It also arrived dead on time so I shall be using this shop again.   Moving houses and a birthday is also a perfect excuse for me to crochet something so other than the plant I am also going to send her this Table runner that I have just finished.

I used Katia Jaipur cotton ( I heart that cotton...works up just lovely!) and a 2.00 hook. I was inspired by a photo on pinterest of something similar to this but it is dramatically tweaked to fit the idea I had in my head so I think I can say it is my pattern.    I actually think it will look great on the table in this photo which is in my sister's new conservatory in her new house.    What do you think of the colours?  Constructive criticism welcome!!!

 

Keep well!!

Amanda :-)

Doodling in crochet.

My first handbag fob!

It has been awhile and I should be correcting homework but .....


I have been doodling in crochet. 

 


I have another make on the hook,a shawl, but I am finding it difficult to concentrate on something big!
 I turned to a bit of doodling...a small make so I could pop it into my bag and do a little bit to it during the breaks between classes.  
Usually the summer isn't very busy for me but as explained in my last post I could not have holidays this year. Even so, I thought I wouldn't have a lot of work but I was wrong. I have three contracts this summer.  

Getting back to my handbag fob. 

  
 


I have a bag I like very much but it has become quite tatty. I washed it and repaired the tears and cut up an iron on trouser patch to iron on over the holes in the corners of my bag . It looks much better but it still had a bit of a faded look to it so I made up this fob to give it a little bit of colour and sparkle!    
No pattern! A bit of spare wool,a round or two of popcorn stitches  and a few beads here and there.   

I feel much better now I have finally finished one of my makes.

keep well 

Amanda :-)

What holidays!!!

Yep!!! Feeling decidedly  fed up!


I'm still here ..... occasionally able to pop in and read a blog or two!

I'm working my holidays.......matter of having to after receiving a rather nasty surprise from a member of my family ......once again.
 I don't want to go into detail as I'll get angry and upset. Anyhow I get bored with myself just listening to my moans and groans.

I have to think this otherwise moi may be emigrating far,far away very soon!

keep well

Amanda  X

Patience friend or foe!

Definitely trying to do this!!!

Yeah! Yeah!!!!     I won't go into a description of my attitude at this moment....lets just say I am dying to get back and do some blogging. At the moment I am just a bit fed up of patience...in fact I could even tell patience just where it could go....but I remind myself I am still in control ...and good things come to those who wait!!!   

keep well

Amanda :-)

The Sixteen

After 16 I really do not want to have to make anymore in fact I feel somewhat chick saturated.  Nevertheless I have to admit I really enjoyed making them and I found that I was giving some of them names even. They looked back at me and seemed to say I am Big Sister and I am Rooster or I am Punkie Chick and me Stroppy Anne :-). Therefore,names they were given!

These photos were taken at what I thought was the completion of them all until I realised during the recount of my pupils and students in my Tweens and young adults class that I had left someone out and there were 16 to make for and not 15 in all. Hence the photo of the last one being hastily made. 

No pink one...sorry Willie! However the forgotten one,the very last one was given pink eyes :-)

The original pattern comes from Sarah at Repeat Crafter Me . As usual I tweaked it here and there to suit my own ideas for the chicks. I gave the egg shell more of a ragged edge and the little roosters were really my own pattern. I also added some piercing! 
I used DK bits from my stash and used a 4,50 hook on the big chicks and a 3.50 hook for the egg shells. I used Katia Capri cotton (again from my stash)for the Roosters and a 3.00 hook and red embroidery silk for crest and tail.
They have all been given out and I believe everyone was delighted. As the Roosters for the boys were attached to key rings the boys instantly hung them on their school bags.

Time has gone by and I think it must have been last November when Busy Little Chicken blog mentioned to me that she would like to have more followers and wasn't sure about how to go about it. At that time I said I would give her a mention on my next post indicating her request.

 I forgot!!!! So very sorry Busy Little Chicken!!!

Here it is now. Please pop over to visit Busy Little Chicken who is really keen to contact other Crafty bloggers and could you share her blog with your Crafty bloggers too.  

Punkie Chick

Stroppy Anne

Big Sister

Rooster

Have a great day!!!

Amanda :-)

cheep! cheep!

One down 14 to go!!!

Will tell you more in my next post :-)

She's fuzzy looking because I have brushed her to look soft and furry :-)

keep well

Amanda :-)

Powerfully cosy!

 All finished,blocked and bobbles brushed! 



Finally ....
I have finished the shawl I mentioned in my previous post . I am quite pleased with it and more so because I have been able to use up lots of "bits and bobs" from my stash. A real stash buster!!!!
This first photo shows the real colours. I'm afraid the other photos which I took in another part of the house make it look rather orangey but it is definitely predominately green.




 


What Yarn did I use?   All sorts! As I said "bits and bobs" in fact I think I will call it my B&B shawl.
The pattern is from Esther Sandrof and I found it on Ravelry,"The Stashbuster Blarf".  A delight to crochet!


 


 My version is bigger because I just flung myself into the making of it eager to get on with it and I didn't really pay attention to measurements; so it is big! When I was blocking it I had to be careful not to stretch it too much so as not to make it any bigger.

 Big,warm and cosy!


 


I also made up my own edging and the bobbles to add fluffiness. Why the bobbles?  I am not sure really I just fancied a bit of something frivolous. I am planning to use those type of bobbles again because they were fun to make!




The negative side of the B&B shawl. Unfortunately I can't see myself using it not in this climate even in winter. As my heading here implies it is powerfully cosy ...........and warm!!!

keep well

Amanda :-)